Dear fellow alumni,<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

I hope all is going well. I wish this note greeted you under a different set of circumstances but it is motivated by a number of unfortunate events at the organization that connects us all: the Prep community – the fifth virtue in our motto.

We were told during Prep’s 35th Anniversary Celebration that we alumni are the backbone of the organization and the Board of Trustees envisions that we will one day take over the reins of the organization. In recent weeks, it has been made clear that Aileen Hefferren, Prep’s Executive Director, and the Executive Committee have no intention of placing or keeping alum in any meaningful leadership capacity despite our financial contribution (over 50% of us donate a combined $250,000.00 annually) and participation in promotional documents and at events. What is clear is that Aileen and the Executive Committee believe it is in Prep’s best interest that Gary Simons, Peter Bordonaro and Tarmla (Tammy) Small (P9 II) not be involved in the organization.

Over 100 years of combined Prep expertise and experience has been lost in the last two years (Dominic Michel, Jonathan Mills, Peter Bordonaro and Tammy Small). When it comes to the Prep Brand and Culture, we alumni have a vested interest in ensuring that the organization in which we have grown up continues on a positive course. We ask for your support in ensuring that the Prep stands by its commitment to its alumni and the future of the organization. Prep must realize that we are willing to support it to the best of our abilities, but only to the extent that it recognizes us as important stakeholders to be considered when making structural changes, and not simply as tools for donations, or as props to bring out during the Lilac Ball and other fundraising efforts. Go to (INSERT WEBSITE) to let the Aileen, the Board and Executive Staff know that we alumni will not tolerate their actions.

As background, on Thursday, March 6, 2014, Prep informed its staff that Tammy, a long serving fellow alumnus, will be removed from the organization following a restructuring of the Admissions Department. This decision was made with no prior notice to Tammy and same-day notice to her staff. Tammy’s experience as an alumnus and as a crucial part of the admissions team for the last three years, especially as it relates to successfully finding talented Prep 9 candidates, were considered of so little significance that the restructuring resulted in the admissions office being devoid of anyone with significant experience in finding and evaluating Prep 9 candidates. Tammy’s “layoff” coupled with Peter Bordonaro’s impending exit this June is the most recent in a series of troubling decisions that have reduced the level of experience and expertise of those leading the organization while undermining one of Prep’s core beliefs: its alumni are better qualified than most to be the decision makers and leaders in every sector.

We (2400+ at last count) are products of the most elite academic institutions in the world and leaders in organizations that influence the cultural, political, economic and academic landscape of society. However, at Prep, of the nine Executive Staff positions, only one is held by an alumnus. More importantly, the restructuring leaves no Prep alumni in a leadership role in the Admissions Department, nor is anyone with any independent school experience leading that department. If we use recent hiring and firing decisions, alumni were not good enough to be Associate Executive Director in 2012 or to be Director of the Office of Admissions in 2014. The Executive Committee even changed the Prep seal without so much as consulting us. While we alumni do not inherently have a right to any position, let alone Executive Staff posts, when weighing the candidates for employment our experience, talent and ability as Prep alumni should be taken into consideration.

Most of us will and have done anything for Prep: donating to the alumni giving campaign; offering internships to students; and featuring in the Annual Report and at the Lilac Ball. However, Aileen and Board of Trustees must recognize that we are more than dollars, internships and photographs. We must make our voices heard when the organization fails in its commitment to Prep and our fellow alumni.

Join us in letting the Board know that we will not tolerate changes that are contrary to Prep’s legacy and commitment to nurture current and future generations of ethnically diverse leaders. Our concern is not simply about the loss of well-respected and beloved members of our community or about a few alumni unable to cope with natural and expected change. This is about celebrating what Prep has meant to each of us, and valuing the immeasurable importance and perspective of alumni as Prep grows and evolves. Finally, it is about making sure every component of the Prep for Prep organization is run by individuals with real experience in that area.

Expressing discontent alone will not express the severity of our concern. Let us show that our voices mean something. Until the Board and Executive Staff address our concerns and express that same commitment to us, the alumni, we ask that you make your pledges to the Alumni Giving Campaign for this fiscal year but withhold making the actual donations. For those of you who have already made your gift to Prep, please consider requesting that your money be refunded and ask that your supporters do the same. Also, go to (INSERT WEBSITE), sign the petition and feel free to leave a testimonial.

We are the embodiment of Prep’s motto: Excellence, Integrity, Commitment and Courage. Remember, leaders don’t just happen!

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sheila Adams (P9 X)

Obadele Davis (P9 II)

Steve Del Villar (P9 II)

Erick Espin (P9 VI)